VP has taken the liberty of removing 'The whole era' to polarise the poll a little. So apologies to: duncr, Elven6, Gnomey, John H, jwp59, Lucy Stag, Niccar, Paul Reed, Peter Clare, ramacal, riggerphil, Ron Goldstein, soren1941, spidge, Steve G, WotNoChad?, Za Rodinu As you'll now have to pick a specific year :tongue:. Roll up, gents. Time to pick a year! Damned cheek I'd say. Looking at the above, at least I'm in good company.
I`m with Gage in that 1940 has to be the most interesting year. So much happened from the point of view of Britain - Battle of Norway , Battle of France and Blitzkreig, Dunkirk, Battle of Britain, Blitz on London, Desert War, etc etc!! 1940 was really the peak of "British involvement" in the War - 1941 saw the emphasis move away to the German/Russian theatre and the following year it became truly a world war with the addition of the USA and Japan...
What 19 bleeping 40! The War hadn't even started in 1940! :icon-mrgreenbandit: Yes it had!! The Winter War!!
What 19 bleeping 40! The War hadn't even started in 1940! :icon-mrgreenbandit: Of course it had. The end of the Phoney War had already happened! :p
The Winter "War" doesn't count, everybody knows it was only the resettlement of the border line through less than peaceful means. Aaaaaanyway, I chose 1943 because this was the first time a large German offensive with all bells and whistles was stopped in its tracks (Zitadelle) and had its ass offered back on a plate courtesy of Operations Kutuzov and Rumyantsev. There! From then on the Germans were unable to employ any initiative at strategic or operational level, so the writing was on the wall was writ there and then. In any case whatever initiatives they did show (Ardennes II, Lake Balaton) were no more than total failures.
I chose 1942. It was the year the Axis were began the slow decline to defeat. The Japanese were being beaten back on the Kokoda Track, lost at Midway, was stopped at Coral Sea, and the Solomon Islands Campaign began in the Pacific. In Africa, Rommell is stopped at El Alamien, Operation Torch, and the 8th Army is there. In Russia the Germans reach Stalingrad but the advance slows. All in all, this was the year things started looking better for the allies.
I chose 44 because after the 21 of August, it was a mop up [high cost, albeit,] but the Bohemian Corporal was beaten! Semper Paratus phil Exactly, no contest. Rob
2nd time round, and forced to pick a specific year it has to be 1945 Why? Victory over the Third reich, of course !
I voted 1944 for D-Day,and the tough task of pushing the Germans backwards towards their pre-war frontier.